Crime and Safety

A Chignik Lagoon woman is in custody after allegedly acting recklessly with a rifle. The Chignik Bay VPSO responded Tuesday to a residence and arrested 50 year old Lee Ann Scoville. Troopers say she had scared family members with the rifle. She allegedly then hid the weapon while the VSPO investigated. Scoville was arrested for 3rd degree assault and tampering with evidence.

A Kokhanok man has been indicted on charges of sexually assaulting an underage male family member. Following his arrest Tuesday, Edwin Zackar is now in custody in Anchorage on 30 thousand dollars bail.

State troopers first investigated the assaults in 2011. They say Zackar abused the victim between 2007 and 2009. Last week, a grand jury in Anchorage indicted Zackar on one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the Second Degree and two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the Third Degree.

The State of Alaska is filing charges against 29 caregivers in Anchorage for Medicaid fraud. The state says they committed over 350 thousand dollars of fraudulent billing at the cost of taxpayers. The vast majority was allegedly done by personal care attendants at Good Faith Services, an Anchorage based company that provides services like personal care, transportation, and care coordination to those receiving Medicaid funds.

A Togiak man is in custody after allegedly threatening to kill two family members. Around 9 p.m. Wednesday night, the Togiak VPSO responded to a house on the report of a possible assault. There the VPSO arrested 23 year old Norman E. Blue. His family members had fled the residence following the threats and then contacted the VPSO.

Blue is facing two counts of 4th degree assault and is held in the Togiak jail without bail. Troopers say alcohol was not a factor.

A 36 year old Manokotak man is facing charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a 15 year old girl. At 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, troopers received a report that Robert Geerhart Junior had become highly intoxicated after drinking R&R whisky.

Around 3 or 4 a.m. he allegedly left his house and went to a tent in the yard where 7 girls, including his 5 daughters, were camping. Troopers say he began having sex with the victim, one of his daughters’ friends.

Governor Parnell signed a bill Tuesday intended to combat the state’s epidemic of domestic violence and sexual assault. It toughens penalties for sex trafficking crimes and allows for stronger sentencing. The law requires that perpetrators serve consecutive sentences in cases with two or more crimes involving child pornography. It outlaws the early “good time” release from prison for those convicted of class A felonies.

3 members of the Alaska Legislature are calling for the Alaska Attorney General to investigate the circumstances behind the release of Jerry Andrew Active from jail just hours before he allegedly committed a double homicide and sexual assault in Anchorage.